


First Encounter

by Erin_Oppel



Category: Wreck-It Ralph (Movies)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, First Crush, First Meetings, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29169603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erin_Oppel/pseuds/Erin_Oppel
Summary: The first day of her life was starting to be her worst, until a certain white racer showed up.
Relationships: King Candy | Turbo & Taffyta Muttonfudge, King Candy | Turbo/Taffyta Muttonfudge
Kudos: 5





	First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Setting is pre-movie AU Sugar Rush where all the racers are adults.

_“S-U-G-A-R, jump into your racing car. Say Sugar Rush! Sugar Rush!”_

The cheery melody was lost on Taffyta as she focused on the tight turn ahead. The Pink Lightning’s engine whined and she shifted gears, braking slightly. Her kart hugged the curve without losing momentum. Success!

It wasn’t long, however, before a second engine was heard. Even before she saw the racer, she knew who it was.

Princess Vanellope: the game’s ruler and star character. Some may even say she was the best racer, and her performance in the night’s practice laps certainly held true to that.

But Taffyta was determined to prove herself a worthy opponent. She had only known the other characters for a few hours since the game just got plugged in, but as soon as she saw Vanellope in action, she’d decided who her rival was.

The princess easily drifted up beside Taffyta in her brilliant white kart, the Royal Racer. Her hazel eyes twinkled mischievously behind her goggles. “Not bad, Muttonfudge. Maybe there’s a chance you’ll beat me,” she taunted loudly over the engines.

Taffyta bit back a retort, not wanting to sound offensive to her princess. Instead, she smirked and replied simply, “Thanks, I look forward to it.” _Very forward to it,_ she added mentally.

“But not today!” Vanellope shifted gears and tore ahead, kicking up chocolate dirt in Taffyta’s face.

Scowling, Taffyta briefly wiped her visor and stomped on the gas. Random Roster Race or not, there was _no way_ she was coming in second again.

The two of them came to an area close to the exit of the game where the track was narrow and both sides sloped into a ditch. Taffyta inched closer to Vanellope, eyes shifting between the front of her kart and the edge of the track, wondering if she had enough room. She held her breath, took a chance, and sped up alongside the princess. 

“Bad idea!” Vanellope slammed her kart against Taffyta’s.

The impact wasn’t very hard, but it was enough to shock Taffyta and make her lose control. And she had picked the worst time to attempt such a maneuver too: the sharp curve in front of her came too fast and she wasn’t able to stop herself from steering off the road and rolling down the ditch.

“ _Sugar!_ ” she cursed, flying out of her kart and landing in the sweet, sticky syrup. The sound of the Pink Lightning crashing nearby barely registered as she sat up with a horrible realization. 

The race was over for her.

Taffyta tried furiously wiping her face and clothes and glared at the track, not believing that Vanellope would _do that_ and just leave her there without checking if she was all right.

The other racers approached. _Good_ , Taffyta thought. _They’ll help me._ She staggered to her feet, yelling, “Hey! A little help here, guys!”

But they zipped right by without having seemed to notice her.

Taffyta lowered her arms slowly, clenching her hands. The sound of engines faded and she was left alone in silence. Her dark brows sank well below her bangs and her body began to shake from the crash and the shame and the total abandonment, so much so that she lost her balance and fell over.

“Oh _thanks a lot, you guys!_ ” she screamed, pounding her fists into the syrup, causing it to splash over her clothes again. But she was already filthy and miserable. On her first day, too. Taffyta’s eyes welled up and spilled over her sticky cheeks. She just sat there, hands over her face, and sobbed. 

Then, a voice spoke almost right in front of her. “Need a hand?” 

Taffyta’s breath hitched and she peeled her fingers away from her eyes. A blurry hand was extended in front of her. She slowly raised her head to see someone looking down at her in concern. When her eyes met with his, he smiled gently. Taffyta swiped her sleeve across her face, hoping to get all the syrup and tears off, before taking the person’s hand.

He pulled her out of the ditch and with both arms he helped her up to the road. “You all right, miss?” 

The pink racer sniffed, anxiously examining herself. “No, I’m not alright! My dress is ruined!” she complained, clutching the stained hem. 

“Here,” he said, holding out a red cloth.

Then she remembered that this man had been the only one to help her out; the least she could do was thank him. Taking the cloth, she wiped her eyes clear to see who it was.

To her surprise, she didn’t know. But wasn’t she programmed to know everyone in the game? The only logical conclusion was that this person wasn’t from _Sugar Rush_ at all.

The first things she noticed were his eyes. They were golden yellow, like two egg yolks sitting in dark purple sockets. His crooked grin revealed a row of dull yellow tombstones; teeth quite fitting for his ghostly—but not old—appearance. Laugh lines and creases under his eyes suggested a friendly person. His ashen skin nearly blended in with his bleach white jumpsuit, which featured scarlet accents. Most notable was the bold “T” on the front of the helmet he wore. Was he perhaps a racer too? Whatever he was, it was clear he wasn’t from this game.

Her confused stare must’ve been as plain as day because he chuckled lightly and said, “I get that a lot.” 

“No, that’s—I—I’m sorry,” Taffyta stuttered, blinking to her hands twisting the rag. The cherry syrup mixed with the dry oil stains and she figured it would be rude to return it looking so filthy. “I just—I was just…” Words failed to come to her, so she left her sentence unfinished. When did she get so shy? Taffyta cleared her throat as a distraction and looked up at him again. “Um, thank you.”

The stranger waved frivolously. “Don’t mention it. I happened to be walking by when I saw you try to overtake that other girl.” He shifted his weight to his other leg and crossed his arms, looking at her thoughtfully. “I gotta say, a move like that takes guts.”

Taffyta glanced up as a proud smile started to creep up on her face.

“But it was stupid.”

Her jaw set, fingers curling in defense. “Excuse me?”

The man tilted his head coolly. “Trying to pass someone on a narrow road, right before a hairpin, without thinking she might hit you? Yeah, kinda amateur, if you ask me.” 

Taffyta planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “And just who are _you_ anyway?” she demanded.

Unfazed by her assertiveness, he relaxed his shoulders and held out his hand. “Turbo, expert racer from _Turbo Time_.”

“Never heard of you or it,” she stated, briefly glancing at his hand before deciding not to shake it. 

“I didn’t expect you to,” he replied, retracting his arm. “My game got put out of order about ten years ago, and you just got plugged in this morning.”

He sounded as if he was casually telling the time, but Taffyta couldn’t help but feel a little bad for him. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she mumbled. What was it like to lose your home? She couldn’t imagine being forced to evacuate _Sugar Rush_ and never being able to race again.

Turbo shrugged. “Ah, these things happen. Might as well make the most of it, right?”

The corners of Taffyta’s lips twitched up. Somehow this guy didn’t seem as bad as she thought.

Turbo turned his attention to the Pink Lightning, still overturned in the ditch. “Let me get that for you,” he offered, starting to walk down the slope.

“Oh, no, that’s okay,” Taffyta said quickly. “You’ve done plenty.”

Turbo raised a brow bone over his shoulder at her. “And I suppose _you’re_ the one who’s going down there in the sticky goop to haul your vehicle back up to the road?” 

Oh. Yeah. Should’ve thought of that. “…No,” she muttered, glancing away.

“Didn’t think so.” He continued to make his way to her kart. Hopping onto a gumdrop beside the back left wheel, he asked, “So Blondie, you got a name or what?”

Taffyta had just finished stuffing the cloth in her jacket pocket when she heard his question. How could she have forgotten to tell him? “It’s Taffyta. Taffyta Muttonfudge.”

She half-expected him to mock the odd combination (after all, Gloyd had already asked what did mutton have to do with anything in _Sugar Rush_ ), but Turbo simply grabbed the fin of her kart and remarked, “Taffyta, huh? That’s cute.”

Taffyta pursed her lips into a smile. Yes, it was cute. And what a relief to find someone else who thought so too. She took out one of the strawberry-flavored lollipops she had in her pocket and unwrapped it, calmly watching Turbo force her kart upright. The Pink Lightning wasn’t a heavy kart, but the syrup didn’t seem to make it easy for him.

As he started to push it back up the hill, he spoke up, “About what I said before, it _was_ a dumb idea.” He grunted when the kart got stuck. “But,” he went on, leaning into it with his shoulder, “there are plenty worse mistakes. And it’s better to learn from them during practice rather than gameplay.”

She shoved the candy between her lips and crumpled the wrapper loudly, trying to look like she didn’t care. But she had to admit, he was right. If she hadn’t been so reckless, she would’ve at least made it onto the roster. “Duly noted.” Taffyta removed the sucker from her mouth and cocked her head. “All right, smart guy, what should I do?” she tested.

“Watch the road, for starters.” The kart shifted and Turbo climbed over it to face the hood. He hooked his fingers under the frame and elaborated, “Look ahead to where you want to go, and plan your move accordingly. Timing is everything.” He began to pull the kart up.

Taffyta kicked at some chocolate sprinkles. “Easier said than done.”

“No doubt.” Turbo added, “But you’ll soon get the hang of it. After all, you’ve got the most potential out of all the other racers.”

His words perked her up. “Yes, that’s what I thought too!” she blurted out.

Turbo strained a bit before going on, “You’ve also got something the others don’t have.” 

She blinked quizzically. “And what is that?”

He paused to take a break. “The intense desire to win.” Turbo cast her a glance. “I saw it in you when I was watching you race. It’s why you take risks, why you’re so talented.” He turned back to the Pink Lightning and continued his task. “There’s just the matter of that other girl…"

Taffyta frowned. “Vanellope.” She realized what he was saying. No matter how good she got, Vanellope would always be better because she had the best stats in the game. She would be the ideal choice for the players.

“You’re jealous of her.”

The blonde racer shot him a look, despite his back being turned from her. How did he know that? She opened her mouth to ask, but he beat her to the question.

“It’s pretty obvious. Why else would you want to win so badly?”

Taffyta bit off the remaining shard of lollipop and threw the stick away. Folding her arms, she noted, “You know, you seem to be pretty good at figuring people out.”

Turbo was nearly at the top when he said, “What can I say? I’m a great observer.”

She smirked and challenged, “So then, why _are_ you making observations in my game?”

He turned his head to smile charmingly. “Because of all the pretty girls, of course.”

A tingle rose in the back of her neck and Taffyta hoped he couldn’t see the blush through her tanned skin. Surely he was referring to all the girls, but the fact that he was including her… Well, no one had complimented her looks until now. 

She wasn’t sure how to respond, and was relieved when Turbo didn’t wait for anything and resumed retrieving her kart as he went on, perhaps more seriously, “I’m a homeless racer and this is a brand-new racing game. Naturally I’m curious.”

“I thought we would be holding a grand opening ceremony tomorrow,” Taffyta pointed out when her fluster subsided. 

“I wanted to get ahead of the crowds.” With a final grunt, he pulled the kart back onto the track. “There you go,” he panted, rubbing his arms.

Taffyta grinned at her beloved racecar and brushed some crumbs off the hood. She glanced at Turbo—her white knight, she supposed—and said sincerely, “Thank you, Turbo.”

The man gave her a thumbs-up and lopsided smile, sinking to the ground with his back resting against her kart. He must’ve been exhausted.

Taffyta sat down beside him and took off her hat, using it to fan herself. Was the game overheating? Or… or was she…? She tossed her cap into the kart and tried wondering what the other racers were doing. 

She and Candlehead had gotten along pretty well, which made Taffyta wonder why her friend wasn’t looking for her. Which brought her attention back to Turbo, the only one who had shown her kindness when she needed it most. She snuck a glance at him.

His eyes were closed with his hands folded tranquilly on his stomach. One of his knees was bent, the other leg was straight with his foot swaying lazily. It almost touched hers. “Sure is nice here,” he muttered, leaning his head back.

“Mmm-hm.” Just now she realized that her heart had been beating rather quickly. When had _that_ started? In an effort to busy herself, Taffyta reached into her pocket and opened a new package of strawberry lollipops. After a brief hesitation, she offered the bag to Turbo.

He smiled thankfully and plucked one of the lollipops by the stick. “So,” he began as he unwrapped the candy, “what else can you tell me about this game?”

Taffyta unwrapped her own lollipop and put the package away, glad to have her mind focus on something else. “Well, let’s see.” She looked up thoughtfully. “There’s 16 of us racers, but only 9 can be playable per day. So that’s why we have a Random Roster Race.”

“What’s that?” 

“A race where the first 9 racers across the finish line represent _Sugar Rush_ as the next day’s avatars,” she explained. Frowning, she made a small groan and stuck the lollipop in her mouth. “I would’ve been one of them, if it wasn’t for Vanellope.”

There was a pause, then Turbo asked, “Is she the best racer in this game?”

Taffyta turned her gaze to him, perhaps a little too quickly. She saw him casually twirling his lollipop between his fingers before he looked at her. Choosing her words carefully, Taffyta answered reluctantly, “I… I suppose so. She’s the princess, after all.”

“ _Princess_ , huh?”

Her chest constricted at the intrigue in Turbo’s voice. She knew he considered himself to be a professional racer; was he more interested in Vanellope because she was a better racer than her? 

Of course he was. How could she even think to compete with a princess? An even greater thought occurred to her: why did she care so much anyway?

“Say, she doesn’t happen to live in her own place, does she? A castle, perhaps?” Turbo asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Taffyta hugged her knees, wishing he would stop wanting to talk about Vanellope. “Um… yeah.”

“You wouldn’t mind showing me where it is, would you?”

Without thinking, she whipped her head at him and asked sharply, “Why?”

Turbo blinked a couple of times, seeming surprised. Then he took the finished lollipop stick out of his mouth, flicked it away and smiled. “How else am I gonna tell her off for being so uncouth to you?”

Relief flooded through her, and yet she felt warmer than ever. If Turbo hadn’t seen the blush on her face before, he was sure to see it now. Putting the sucker back into her smiling mouth and getting to her feet, she motioned for him to follow.

She led him up one of the hills on the track until she could see a clear view of the castle. “See that bridge over there?” She pointed towards the white-and-brown-checkered bridge that spanned from one part of the game to the castle.

“Uh-huh.”

“Just follow that until you reach the castle.” Taffyta finished her lollipop, so she dropped the stick on the ground and crushed it beneath her shoe. “You need a ride?”

Turbo cracked his neck. “Nah, I can walk,” he said. He looked up and down at her and added with a smirk, “Besides, you should probably go home and take care of yourself before the arcade opens.”

Taffyta let out a nervous giggle, self-consciously combing her fingers through a sticky section of hair. “Yeah, you’re right.”

He flashed his yellow grin. “Well, Taffyta, thanks for everything.”

“Thank _you_ ,” she responded, eyes beaming. She was about to ask him when she would see him again, when he leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“I won’t forget our first encounter,” he told her, his canary eyes shining almost playfully.

Taffyta only stared—wide-eyed and mouth gaping slightly—as Turbo turned away and walked down the hill. After a moment, she stiffly turned on her heel and stumbled back to the Pink Lightning, nearly tripping over herself two times.

With her face red as a cherry, she bounced into her kart and sat there for a few seconds. Her mind played their conversation over and over, always lingering on the moment when Turbo’s lips brushed between her eyebrows. Sighing dreamily to herself, she started up the engine and drove in the direction of her garage.

“Neither will I.”

* * *

Taffyta finished drying off and slipped into her fluffy, pink bathrobe. She swiped a comb through her wet hair before leaving the bathroom to check on the laundry.

The dryer was still going, and Taffyta figured she had some time to have a cup of hot chocolate while she waited. She still hadn’t stopped thinking about that man she met earlier.

Turbo. What a simple name, she thought. And yet it was perfect for him: sharp, obvious, and fast.

Not to mention handsome, in an unconventional kind of way.

As she made her way to the kitchen, something happened. She wasn’t sure exactly what, but her vision distorted and a jolt of pain shot through her head, bouncing from side to side like a pinball. It was only for a split second, but it was enough for her to stop in her tracks and press her hands against her temples.

“Ahh! Oh…” she groaned, shaking her head. “That was weird.”

Now, what had she been doing? Taffyta remembered and went to the kitchen to start her hot chocolate. She glanced at the clock on the wall and noted that she still had a few hours before opening time. Maybe she would use that time to socialize a bit more with the other racers.

The dryer beeped just as she filled her mug, so she set it down on her coffee table and went to the laundry corner. When she opened the dryer, it suddenly occurred to her that she didn’t know why she washed her clothes in the first place.

Taffyta frowned, hands gripping the fabric of her warm dress as if it held the link to her memory. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t even remember what happened before she got home. All she had were vague memories of racing with the others.

Something was wrong. Taffyta quickly pulled out the rest of her outfit, changing in the process. She paused when she saw the last item in the dryer.

A small, crimson rag. Peculiar, as she never remembered possessing one before. Was it something the programmers forgot to delete? But when she took it out and examined it, she clearly saw black oil stains on it. It must’ve belonged to someone else. Someone she was forgetting…

Taffyta squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to remember. But it was as if a lock were put on her mind and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break in.

“I need answers,” she muttered, standing up and shoving the cloth in her jacket pocket.

After she finished drying her hair until it was pin-straight, she put on her hat and bolted through the door. Even as she started driving away, she wasn’t sure where she was going. She just knew she had to talk to _someone_.

The main racetrack came into view and Taffyta noticed that the other racers were starting to gather there. There was a lot of chatter going on with the spectators, who were all in their designated stands. She pulled up beside Candlehead’s kart and jumped out.

“Hey!” she greeted the girl as she followed her to a giant popcorn box.

Candlehead looked delighted to see her. “Oh, there you are, Taffyta! We were looking for you.”

“You were?” Taffyta furrowed her brows. “Why?” What had she forgotten? 

Candlehead opened her mouth to respond, then froze with her finger in the air. “Uh…” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “You know, I don’t remember.” Then she brightened. “Maybe King Candy will have some answers!”

Taffyta blinked at the unfamiliarity of the name. “Who?”

“Yeah, none of us remembered him at first either,” said Jubileena as she walked up to them. “He’s the ruler of _Sugar Rush_. He got here a few minutes ago and said there was a glitch in the system that caused everyone’s memories to short circuit.”

Taffyta absently rubbed her head. “Yeah, that would explain it…”

King Candy. The name didn’t ring any bells, no matter how many times she repeated it. Still, if he was the king, he most likely would know what was going on. She looked at Jubileena. “Wait, you said something about a glitch?”

Jubileena bobbed her head. “Yep. King Candy said he would go into detail once everyone showed up,” she replied. “We’re just waiting for Sour Bill’s introduction.”

That name she did remember. Soon enough, a dull voice droned on the microphone atop the popcorn box, “Attention everyone.” The last of the racers gathered together and the spectators quieted. “Citizens of _Sugar Rush_ … All hail our rightful ruler, King Candy.”

The curtain blew open and out leapt an old man in royal attire. “Hello again, my loyal subjects! I’m so pleased all of you could make it for this very special announcement!”

Taffyta found herself cheering along with the crowd, though for the life of her she couldn’t find any memory of this king. She listened closely as he went on.

“First of all, I’d like to congratulate everyone who made it onto the roster for the first day in business.” As he spoke, the jumbotron showed the roster list.

Taffyta smiled at seeing her name in second place, right below King Candy himself. Unfortunately, she didn’t recall the Random Roster Race.

“Second—and this is very important—there’s this glitch in the game you must all beware of.” King Candy explained seriously, “She calls herself ‘Vanellope’ and she’s been screwing up the code, trying to become a real racer. She doesn’t care that she’s jeopardizing the whole game to fulfill her own selfish desires.”

Taffyta clenched her fists. What kind of monster would do that?

“If you see her anywhere, make sure that she’s not trying to enter a race,” King Candy continued. “Because if she makes it onto the roster, the gamers will take her glitching as a sign of the game being broken. We can’t have that, can we?”

Taffyta shook her head with the others. She wasn’t gonna let some stupid glitch ruin her life.

The king concluded, “I do apologize for the inconveniences. But let’s not let it spoil our first day! I’m looking forward to many races with you, and many more in the future.” His gaze rested on Taffyta for a moment before flicking it away. “That is all.” He stepped back from the microphone to converse with Sour Bill.

There was almost something meaningful in the way he looked at her. The noise of the crowd resumed and she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“So Taffyta, where were you?” Rancis asked.

“Um…” She brought her mind back to reality. “Last I remember, I was at home taking a shower.”

“That’s weird,” said Jubileena. “I remember us racing. Though I can’t be sure who won.”

Rancis suggested, “Hey, why don’t we do a few more practice races before the arcade opens? Try and clear our heads?” 

The girls nodded, but Taffyta looked back up at King Candy, who dismissed his servant and began descending the platform. “You guys can start without me. There’s something I have to do first.” She waved to them and jogged behind the popcorn box.

King Candy looked up at the same time as she rounded the corner, maybe even slightly before. “Well, hello, Taffyta. How can I help you?” he asked pleasantly.

“Oh, uh…” Taffyta curtseyed a greeting. “Hello, your Majesty. If it’s alright, I have a few questions.”

“Of course it’s all right, my dear. That’s what I’m here for.” He motioned for her to join him in the shade of the box. “Tell me, what’s on your mind?”

Taffyta shuffled up beside him and said, “Actually, not much. I can’t seem to remember anything specific that happened before I got home an hour ago. And, I’m sorry, I don’t remember you at all.” 

King Candy patted her shoulder. “Yes, I’m afraid that’s due to the glitch tinkering with the code, as I said. Even I suffered a lapse in my memory.”

Taffyta looked at him hopelessly. “So I’m never going to remember?”

“I’m afraid not, my dear.” He smiled sympathetically. “But whatever you’re forgetting is in the past anyway. We can look forward to making new memories. Ones that will be worth reminiscing and cherishing for years to come.”

She glanced down in thought. “That does sound nice,” she said. “But…” Should she tell him? “It just feels like… like I’m forgetting someone.”

King Candy stopped fiddling his hands. “...Someone?” he echoed.

“Someone important.” Taffyta frowned; she didn’t know how else to explain it.

Then the king chuckled, making her look up. “Oh, I think I know who you’re forgetting.”

She clasped her hands. “Who?”

He pointed his thumbs toward himself. “Me!” he answered with a huge grin. “You said so yourself. You didn’t know who I was at first, and you felt like you were forgetting someone important. It’s obviously me!”

“Oh. Y-yes, of course,” she stammered, though not entirely convinced. Unless she really was stupid, in which case it’d be best to drop the subject. Taffyta swallowed and shyly met his warm gaze. “Thank you, King Candy.”

“My pleasure, Taffyta.” His brown eyes twinkled as he thought of something else. “Say, why don’t we do a few practice laps on our own? Let’s see if we can refresh your memory of my awesome racing skills.”

Taffyta giggled and said playfully, “You’re on. But all you’re going to remember is how much of a challenge I can put up.”

King Candy nudged her arm. “Oh-ho-ho, we’ll just see about that!” Winking, he skipped around the popcorn box to the other side.

Taffyta grinned and followed him to get to the Pink Lightning. She hopped inside and put on her sparkling helmet, locating King Candy putting on his gold helmet in the Royal Racer.

The king flashed her a grin before tearing away from the starting line.

She smirked, excitement bubbling up inside of her as she rode after him. 

He was starting to sound familiar after all.


End file.
